Pni V1000 User Manual

Operation Manual

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NW

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TIMER

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COMPASS

TIMER

BEARING

LIGHT

V1000

Congratulations... you have purchased

one of the most sophisticated compasses
available for use in a vehicle. The V1000
incorporates patented magnetic sensor
technology to give you accurate, electronic
compass headings. PNI’s magnetic sensor
technology electronically measures your
vehicles magnetic eld and calibrates for
inaccuracies mathematically with its built-in
microprocessor. The result is unequaled
compass performance in a vehicle environ­ment.

Table of Contents

Display and Buttons.........................................1

Installation........................................................3

12 Volt Adapter ................................................4

Turning the Power On and Off.........................5

Magnetic Distortion Warning...........................5

Calibration........................................................6

Backlight Information and Programming ........8

Timer Mode....................................................10

Bearing Mode.................................................11

Changing the Batteries...................................13

Frequently Asked Questions..........................15

Service & Replacement..................................21

Warranty.........................................................23

DISPLAY AND BUTTONS

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NW

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SW

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SE

TIMER

S

LIGHT

COMPASS

TIMER

BEARING

LIGHT

DISPLAY

The unit displays heading in 16 cardinal points (N,
NNE, ENE, E, etc.), numeric digits with a resolu­tion of 5° and a compass rose at all times when
it is on. The compass rose points in the direction
displayed on the cardinal points.

BUTTONS

The unit has 5 buttons: two LIGHT buttons,
a COMPASS button, a TIMER button and a
BEARING button.

1

LIGHT BUTTONS

Both LIGHT buttons have the same function, press
to turn the light on or off and press and hold to
set the backlight time-out values (see page 8 for
detailed instructions).

COMPASS BUTTON

Pressing the COMPASS button returns you to com­pass only mode, pressing and holding the COM­PASS button takes you into calibration mode.

TIMER BUTTON

Pressing the TIMER button takes you to timer
mode, pressing it again starts/stops the timer. Press­ing and holding the TIMER button resets the timer
to zero (see page 10 for detailed instructions).

BEARING BUTTON

Press and release the BEARING button to enter the
bearing mode. This mode stores and displays the
bearing (not shown on page 1 illustration). Pressing
and holding the BEARING button erases the stored
bearing (see page 12 for detailed instructions).

2

INSTALLATION

Initially, mount the unit on the windshield or
dashboard with the face of the LCD pointing
toward the rear of the vehicle.

MOUNTING ADJUSTMENTS

The LCD viewing angle may be adjusted by
loosening the bracket lock on the back of the
compass. Turn the lock a quarter of a turn coun­ter clockwise to loosen. Make your vertical (up
and down) adjustments and then turn the lock a
quarter of a turn clockwise to lock the bracket
and adjustment into place. Because you need
the LCD facing to the rear of the vehicle ini­tially, do not make your horizontal (left and
right) adjustments at this time. You may make
any horizontal adjustments during calibration
for better viewing if necessary (see page 6 for
calibration instructions).

Note: The accuracy of the V1000 will be nega-

3

tively affected by a strong magnetic eld, such
as that found in proximity to an audio speaker.
It is recommended that the unit be mounted 5 or
more inches away from stereo speakers.

12 VOLT ADAPTER

The PNI V1000 has a 12 Volt adapter jack
located on the back of the compass. Unplug the
small rubber plug and it will expose the jack.
Insert the small end into the jack located on the
back of the compass and plug the large end into
your cigarette lighter receptacle. The LED on
the plug itself will indicate that there is power
to the adapter. If it does not light up, check the
connection and the fuse to the receptacle.

Note: Since cars do not always have constant
power supplied to the lighter receptacle, you
must keep a set of batteries in the V1000 at all
times to allow the unit to keep memory settings.

4

TURNING THE POWER ON AND OFF

To turn the power on, press any button. The
unit turns off automatically when you have
parked your vehicle and no magnetic change
has been detected for approximately 10 min­utes.

MAGNETIC DISTORTION WARNING

When the unit senses there has been a sig­nicant change in magnetic elds, the cardinal
points will ash slowly. This can occur when
driving over a bridge, under an overpass, etc.

5

CALIBRATION

1. To calibrate the unit, press and hold the COM­PASS button and the WAIT icon will ash.

2. While the WAIT icon ashes (located in the
upper middle of the LCD), the backlight momen­tarily turns on and then turns off.

3. Once the light turns off, the TURN TWICE
(located in bottom left corner) ashes.

4. Turn your vehicle in two circles and then
press the COMPASS button (see Note next page).

5. After making the circles and pressing the
COMPASS button, the <ADJ> icon ashes (in
the upper left corner). Make any necessary hor­izontal (left/right) adjustments, and then press
the COMPASS button. When making the hori­zontal adjustments, be sure to keep the vertical
(up/down) position the same.

6

6. Press the COMPASS button. At this point,
the TURN TWICE icon will ash.

7. Turn your vehicle in two circles and then
press the COMPASS button.

The unit is now calibrated.

Note: The size of the circles or the direction
your vehicle is pointing when beginning or
ending the circles do not matter. However, it is
important that each circle takes a minimum of
20 seconds but less than 1 minute to complete.

7

BACKLIGHT INFORMATION

AND PROGRAMMING

Press either the top or bottom light button to
turn the backlight on or off. Press and hold
either light button to program the auto shut-off
value of the backlight. The default auto shut­off value is 10 seconds, but a value of 30 sec­onds, 60 seconds, or 180 seconds can also be
selected. The auto shut-off feature can also be
disabled by selecting “OFF”.

To program the auto shut-off value:

1. Press the LIGHT button for 2 seconds, and
the value that was selected “10” (10 being the
default) will ash for 3 seconds and then is
selected.

2. To select the next value, press the LIGHT
button again for 2 seconds, and the next value

8

“30” will ash for 3 seconds, and then be
selected.

3. The additional values are selected in the
same manner.

Note: Each time you press and hold the light
button, the ashing time out value will be
selected.

9

TIMER MODE

With the unit turned on, press the timer button
and the timer icon displays, along with the
timer value. Compass information is displayed
as well. The timer displays in hours, minutes
and seconds, and counts up to a maximum of
99 hr, 59 min and 59 seconds. If it reaches the
maximum, it resets itself and begins to count up
from zero again.

Using the timer:

1. Press the TIMER button to start or stop the
timer.

Note: The timer can be started and stopped any
number of times.

2. Press and hold the TIMER button to reset
the timer to zero.

10

3. If you no longer want the timer displayed,
press the COMPASS button and the unit will
display only compass information.

Note: The timer will continue to run, even
though it is no longer in timer mode or until the
unit turns off.

BEARING MODE

To program a bearing into the PNI V1000:

1. With the unit turned on, press the
BEARING button to store the bearing (i.e. the
numeric heading displayed in degrees on the
LCD).

2. When a bearing is stored into memory, a
ashing arrow tip will display in the direction
of the stored bearing, and the numeric bearing
value will be displayed at the bottom of the
screen. The current heading will still be dis-

11

played as normal, with numeric digits, cardinal
points and a solid compass rose pointing in the
direction you are going.

2. If the current heading and bearing direction
are the same, the tip of the arrow will ash,
while the shaft will be solid. This indicates
that you are going in the direction of the stored
bearing.

3. The arrow tip will continue to ash and the
numeric bearing value will be displayed until
the bearing mode is exited or the bearing is
cleared.

4. To erase the stored bearing, press and hold
the BEARING button until the displayed bear­ing is replaced by 3 dashes (---).

5. If you no longer want the bearing displayed,
press the COMPASS button and the unit will
display only compass information.

12

CHANGING THE BATTERIES

1. It is time to change the batteries in the
PNI V1000 when the display ickers or is dim,
when you turn the backlight on and the display
goes blank or when the unit will no longer
turn on.

2. Remove the compass from the bracket and
place the compass on a solid surface with
the LCD facing down and the back of the
compass up.

3. The batteries are stored underneath the bat­tery cover, which is a large round rubber plug
located at the back of the compass.

4. Gently pull the tab on the rubber plug and
it will expose the battery compartment with 2
lithium batteries #CR2032.

5. Remove the two batteries and discard.

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6. Insert the 2 new batteries, both with the
positive side toward the battery cover.

7. Insert the rubber plug to close the battery
compartment.

8. Turn the V1000 right side up and turn the
power on.

9. The V1000 will go through a self-test pat­tern before displaying heading information.
The degree bearing and the “CAL” message
will ash for 30 to 60 seconds as a reminder
that the compass needs to be calibrated (see
page 8 for details on calibration).

Note: If nothing happens after inserting the
batteries, or if the display becomes “stuck”
with certain characters, remove the batteries,
wait approximately one minute, and then rein­sert them. Make sure the batteries are posi­tioned correctly.

14

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How does the PNI V1000 work?

The V1000 uses a patented magnetic sensor
technology that was developed by PNI Corpo­ration for the U.S. Military. This technology
is called Magneto-Inductive and is the largest
advance in compass technology since the ux­gate was invented 60 years ago. The earth
generates a magnetic eld, and through a math­ematical calculation, compass heading is deter­mined. The Magneto-Inductive technology is
able to electronically sense the difference in the
earth’s eld from your vehicle’s magnetic
eld. The V1000’s microprocessor electron­ically subtracts out your vehicle’s magnetic
elds, displaying highly accurate compass read­ings. Magneto-Inductive sensor technology
has many advantages over other technologies
including better performance, consuming less
power and being less expensive. These advan-

15

tages have made Magneto-Inductive sensor
technology the choice for many high prole
compass applications including GM, Ford, and
Chrysler automobiles, Polaris jet skis, Bayliner
boats and Timex watches.

Where can the V1000 be used?

The V1000 can be used in any type of vehicle
including cars, trucks, vans, SUV’s, off-road
vehicles, boats and RV’s.

How do I read the display?

The V1000 displays direction in 3 different for­mats: (1) cardinal points (N, NNE, NE, ENE, E,
etc.), (2) numeric digits (325˚, 330˚, etc.), and
(3) compass rose. The 16 cardinal points of a
compass (N, NNE, NE, ENE, E, ESE, SE, SSE,
S, SSW, SW, WSW, W, WNW, NW, NNW) give
you a general sense of direction. The numeric
digits show your exact direction down to the
nearest 5 degrees. The compass rose shows a
solid arrow pointing in the direction you are
heading.

16

What is calibration and why is it necessary?

Calibration is the process whereby the V1000
separates the earth’s magnetic eld from exter­nal magnetic elds such as those generated by
a vehicle’s steel body or electronics. Without
calibration, the V1000 thinks the entire mag­netic eld it is reading is from the earth and
therefore displays inaccurate compass readings.

When do I need to calibrate the V1000?

The V1000 needs to be calibrated when
used for the rst time, when used in
an environment with a different magnetic
eld or when the batteries are removed.

Using the V1000 in a different environment
includes moving it to a new position in the
same vehicle, installing it in a different vehicle,
or when there has been a change to your vehicle
such as the installation of a new stereo.

17

How long do the batteries last and what type
does it use?

The V1000 operates off of 2 lithium batteries,
#CR2032. These are common batteries that can
be found almost anywhere watch or hearing aid
batteries are sold. The batteries should provide
over 200 hours of compass usage, excluding
the backlight. The backlight uses signicantly
more power than the compass alone, so it is
recommended that the backlight be turned on
only when necessary.

What happens when batteries are removed?

Removing the batteries from the V1000
erases all the information that was stored in
memory, as well as calibration information.
After removing batteries, the V1000 must
be calibrated.

18

Why does the V1000 need batteries if I’m
using the 12 volt adapter?

The V1000 has a 12 volt adapter jack that
allows it to run off of your vehicle’s battery. In
many types of vehicles, turning off the ignition
also turns off the power to the 12 volt adapter.
If the V1000’s power is shut-off completely, it
loses all its memory settings including calibra­tion, timer and stored bearings. This means
that every time you turned your V1000 on, you
would need to calibrate it and reprogram any
memory settings. To prevent this from occur­ring, the V1000 was designed to use the batter­ies as a power backup, allowing it to retain all
memory settings. Therefore, 2 working batter­ies must be in the V1000 for the 12 volt adapter
to operate.

19

What is Magnetic Distortion?

Many things generate external magnetic elds
which cause compasses to be inaccurate,
including metal and electronics. Unlike most
compasses, the V1000 senses when there has
been a signicant change in magnetic elds and
ashes the cardinal points. This implies that
there is magnetic distortion. This may occur
when driving over a bridge, under an overpass,
over railroad tracks or within close proximity to
something with a strong magnetic eld. Once
the vehicle has moved away from the source of
interference, the V1000 will be accurate again.
If the cardinal points are continuously ashing,
it is usually a sign that there has been a signi­cant change in magnetic elds and calibration
is necessary.

20

SERVICE & REPLACEMENT

For the fastest service, contact or return your
unit to the place of purchase.

If you wish to return the unit for replacement or
repair to PNI Corporation, please follow the fol­lowing procedures:

1. Obtain a Return Merchandise Authorization
(RMA) number by contacting PNI:

• By Phone: [phone] (Toll-Free
within the USA only) or at 707-566-2260

• By Fax: [phone]

• By E-mail: [e-mail]

2. Provide a proof of purchase, such as a
mechanical reproduction or carbon copy of
a sales receipt. If you send your original
receipt, it cannot be returned. Proof-of-pur­chase must show printed date of purchase,
model number, and place of purchase.

21

Once you have acquired a RMA number, pack
the unit securely to prevent damage in transit. If
possible, use the original packing material and
box. Be sure to send the entire product.

3. Ship prepaid and insured by way of a trace­able carrier: such as United Parcel Service
(UPS), Roadway Parcel Service (RPS), or
First Class Mail to avoid loss in transit.

4. Write the issued RMA number on the out­side of your package and send your proof­of-purchase and description of the problem
to:

PNI Corporation

5464 Skylane Boulevard, Suite A

Santa Rosa, CA 95403-1084

Type or print your name and address where the
replacement should be delivered. After receipt
of your documents and unit, a replacement unit
will be sent to you. Please allow 2-3 weeks from
receipt of your returned product to delivery of
your replacement.

22

LIMITED WARRANTY; LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

PNI Corporation (“PNI”) warrants to the original user that
this product will be free of defects in workmanship and mate­rials for one (1) year from the date of purchase. This war­ranty does not cover wear and tear due to normal use, or
damage to the product as the result of improper usage,
neglect of care, alteration, accident or unauthorized repair.

If the product is found by PNI to be defective and you have
provided proof of purchase acceptable to PNI, PNI’s entire
liability and your exclusive remedy for breach of warranty
shall be that PNI, at its option, will replace or repair the prod­uct and return the replacement or repaired product to you
at no charge, provided that you ship the product to PNI at
your expense. PNI warrants the repaired or replaced prod­uct to be free from defects in material and workmanship for
a period of the greater of: (i) ninety (90) days from the date it
is shipped to you; or (ii) the period of time remaining on the
original one (1) year warranty.

THE FOREGOING WARRANTY IS GIVEN IN LIEU OF AND
PNI DISCLAIMS ALL OTHER WARRANTIES OR REPRE­SENTATIONS, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, IN FACT OR IN
LAW, WITH RESPECT TO THIS PRODUCT, INCLUDING,

23

BUT NOT LIMITED TO, (1) THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES
OF MERCHANTABILITY AND OF FITNESS FOR A PAR­TICULAR PURPOSE, OR (2) THAT USE OF THE PROD­UCT WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED AND ERROR FREE.

PNI shall have no liability for any indirect or speculative
damages (including, but not limited to, consequential, inci­dental and special damages) relating to the use of or inability
to use this product, whether arising out of contract, negli­gence, tort, or under any warranty theory, or for infringement
of any other party’s intellectual property rights, irrespective
of whether PNI had advance notice of the possibility of any
such damages, including, but not limited to, loss of use,
revenue or prot. In no event shall PNI’s total liability for
all claims regarding the product exceed the price paid for
the product. PNI neither assumes nor authorizes anyone to
assume for it any other liabilities.

Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of inci­dental or consequential damages, so the above limitations
or exclusions may not apply to you.

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5464 Skylane Boulevard, Suite A

Santa Rosa, CA 95403-1084

www.pnicorp.com

P/N:80-1070-1000; Rev. B Version F1-02-01